What Can a 240 Sundeck Handle?

Liquid Ice

Liquid Ice

New Member
Jun 10, 2010
7
Everywhere
Boat Info
2004 240 Sundeck
Engines
350 Mag w/ Bravo III Drives
I have always wondered what it would handle water wise. Would it be big/stable enough for any lake even in rough weather? Or would some of those bigger waves of the Great Lakes during bad weather be too much for it? Is there a 'scale' that people use to determine if their boat is able enough for certain waters or is it more of a personal judgement thing. Thanks for any input.
 
Um, I think it's fair to say that the waves on the great lakes are capable of taking every single boat on this board down. See the tale of the Edmund Fitzgerald. I think small craft advisories which are common would be way too much for 90% of the pleasure boats people on this board have. Including those with 340Da's etc. I went out once in 3-4 foot swells on a 260 bowrider and that was abit unnerving. 5 foot? No way.
 
Last edited:
Cincy Aquaholic said:
Um, I think it's fair to say that the waves on the great lakes are capable of taking every single boat on this board down. See the tale of the Edmund Fitzgerald. I think small craft advisories which are common would be way too much for 90% of the pleasure boats people on this board have. Including those with 340Da's etc. I went out once in 3-4 foot swells on a 260 bowrider and that was abit unnerving. 5 foot? No way.
Click to expand...

I definitely understand they can take any boat down...especially in bad weather. With clear weather and minor swells, would the Sundeck be able to go out without problem? Sorry if these are dumb questions but I'm just trying to figure out where I should and where I shouldn't take the boat.
 
The 240 is a solid and stable boat. It can handle a lot. I don't want to put a number to it. The major concern is taking a wave over the bow and stalling the motor.
 
It depends???

A heck of a lot more than most passengers can handle. (Grin)

A lot is going to depend on the experience you have. How long have you been boating? Would I take it out in small craft warnings...no!
 
Thor Heyerdahl crossed the Pacific, from South America to Polynesia, on a raft made of strapped together wooden tree limbs. The issue is not whether the boat could do it...as Chuck ably points out, the boat could weather much more than the captain and crew probably could.

Its all about common sense and the water seems to be a very practical application of Darwinism. Do you WANT to be in six foot swells in a 240...probably not, but it isn't innately dangerous. The smaller the boat, the better the weather if you want to venture far afield.
 
Good question. I would like to add another question. Would it be any safer if you had the bow cover on and a full camper package? It seems that if you could keep water from getting in you might be able to prevent a swamping.

Jim
 
jimandsue60 said:
Good question. I would like to add another question. Would it be any safer if you had the bow cover on and a full camper package? It seems that if you could keep water from getting in you might be able to prevent a swamping.

Jim
Click to expand...

Chuck is the unofficial 240 expert, but I had one and will chime in...the problem with any open bow boat is evacuating the water in case of swamping. Scuppers serve that purpose, but the 240 doesn't have them. You could also encapsulate the boat and prevent water coming in, but I don't know that canvas is engineered to withstand a six foot wall of water...and it strikes me that the opportunity the structural strength might be put to the test would, paradoxically, be precisely the worst time to find out.
 
Liquid Ice said:
I definitely understand they can take any boat down...especially in bad weather. With clear weather and minor swells, would the Sundeck be able to go out without problem? Sorry if these are dumb questions but I'm just trying to figure out where I should and where I shouldn't take the boat.
Click to expand...
Just start using it, you'll figure the rest out real quick.
 
The distance between swells has a lot to do on how the boat will handle. My friend has a 24 sundancer and it is one hell of a boat. 3-4's with 5's tossed in for good measure, not for me. I would do it on mine, not his.
 
Well. . .this thread is asking a legitmate question.

OK. . it has been asked before. . . (do a search on 240 and "bahamas") . . but sometimes it is fun to read things you have read before.

In this case. . I think you want to avoid any water conditions that can put serious water into the boat. Camper canvas and bow covers are designed to keep rain out of the boat. . they are not designed to keep a WAVE out of the boat. Oh sure. . they might keep the first wave out. Maybe even the second. But after a dozen.. . things will likely turn ugly.

How well attached is your windscreen?

My boat has "scuppers" that go overboard. Yeah.. . I got four of these bad boys. You spray the deck with a garden hose, and pretty soon these guys are overloaded and are putting excess water into the bilge. SURE the bilge pumps can handle it. I have two of them. . . .they can cope with a 2 gpm garden hose ok. . .how much water do you think will come over the bow?

I do not know how a 240SD is built. If those pathetic drains backup. . does the water go to the bilge? Or does the cockpit flood? Either way. . you might be ok if you take ONE wave into the boat. . .but if you take TWO or THREE inside of a minute. . I am not sure how much of your boat is going to be above water. Certainly. . I doubt the engine would be above water. . and if you lose power in those conditions. . . . .

The main difference between a SunDancer and a SunDeck in these conditions is the enclosed bow. The enclosed bow will keep waves out if your stern gets lifted and you stick the bow into the next wave. Of course. . if you bury the bow bad enough, the water will wash right over the foredeck, over the windscreen and into the cockpit. . .which isn't a good thing. . . but it definately takes a bigger wave to get in that kind of trouble. This is why some people mentioned the "wave period".

Ok. . .back to our regular programming.
 
jimandsue60 said:
......Would it be any safer if you had the bow cover on and a full camper package?.....
Click to expand...
Extra canvas is going to be a liability in gale-force winds. Plus I do not think the canvas package for a small boat is rated for a hit from a wave of any size.
 
jimandsue60 said:
When you say it doesn't have scuppers what do you mean? The 240 does have deck drains that do drain overboard.
Jim
Click to expand...

Jim,
Yes the 240SD has a self-bailing cockpit design. It does not have the huge scuppers like the outboard center console boats have. Our drains are maybe 2" on each side, some of those scuppers are huge like a foot or more on each side.
Chuck
 
After seeing this picture, I don't think anyone would like to be in a 240SD on real choppy day. I know I wouldn't and I used to own one !

Moreover, if you need the seating space up front because of the number of people aboard you may not be able to put up the bow cover.

attachment.php
 
That is a fantastic picture. There's no reason to have anybody seated in the bow when going out on the Great Lakes or in the Pacific Ocean. As indicated in the "West Coast >> Catalina Island" thread, I've taken a 19 foot Sundeck 20 miles across the San Pedro Channel to Catalina Island. I wore a bra (bow cover) the whole way and took a couple of waves on the way but nothing like that.
 
Last edited:
This boat can handle choppy waters. The key is if the waves get bigger is to keep the bow up. It may take working with the throttle to keep on top of each wave.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Forum statistics

Threads
113,163
Messages
1,427,599
Members
61,072
Latest member
BoatUtah12
Back
Top